A High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has sentenced six persons to death by hanging for murder and attempted murder.
The convicts are Oniyelu Olu, 63, Folorunso Oluwatoba, 65, Peter Ajayi, 73, Tijani Arowolo, 80 (who died during the court process), Dolamu Olaide, 29, John Ojo, 77, and Lateef Arowolo, 45.
Justice Lekan Ogunmoye said the prosecution successfully established a prima facie case of conspiracy, attempted murder and murder against them.
The prosecutor told the court that the offence was committed on or about February 7, 2017 at Ilupeju Ekiti when they conspired to murder one Sola Adeniyi, 27.
According to the charge sheet, they also attempted to murder an okada man, Ojo Olaoluwa, 22, who gave evidence that the 2nd accused person (Folorunso Oluwatoba) stopped him on that fateful day when he was about to mount his bike.
laoluwa told the court that he noticed blood dripping from Oluwatoba’s bag and asked him to open the bag because of police checkpoint ahead.
According to the bike rider, the convict said he had a grasscutter in the bag and would not open it.
Olaoluwa said when he perceived the content may be incriminating, he took to his heels only to be shot in the back.
The prosecutor, Oluwakemi Daniel, called five witnesses.
Exhibits tendered included confessional statements made to the police by the accused persons, photographs of the severed body of the deceased, medical report from Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, a dane gun and one cartridge.
